Parenthood
News
Live Human Birth: You Never Saw This at the County Fair

A few weeks back we found ourselves at a county fair witnessing the live birth of a calf (as one does). It was equal parts fascinating, horrifying and beautiful and reminded us of exactly how animalistic the human birth experience can be (and vice versa). Though where humans get forceps or perhaps a c-section when […]

Pop Culture
When Parents Text

photo via flickr Some people worry that technology is hindering human communication, creating more distance in relationships, but we think When Parents Text is evidence to the contrary,” write co-authors Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli about their new book. And we think they’re right — amongst the ALL CAPS and multiple exclamation points and weird […]

News
World’s Largest Sperm Bank Says Redheads Need Not Apply

It’s bad enough that redheaded guys grew up with playground (or frat house) taunts about their ginger pubes  — now they’re being told that their sperm is not welcome either. Cryos, the world’s largest sperm bank, says that they now get so many donations that they can be picky — and, frankly, there isn’t enough […]

Research
Study Shows Active Parenting Reduces Testosterone in Men

Guy A: How are things going with your new baby? Guy B: Oh, you know, that’s pretty much Amy’s deal. We swear to god, this is an exact transcript of a conversation that took place between a friend of ours and one of his college buddies. Sure, it’s an extreme example, but it’s not an […]

Websites
MyBadParent.com

Feeling bad about accidentally dropping your kid on his head? MyBadParent.com will make you feel better immediately. It’s a collection of kid and parent images (culled from various Internet sites as well as submissions) that you won‘t see in Parenting Magazine, ranging from the choreographed-for-a-laugh to someone-call-Social-Services-immediately. It’s like if FAILblog had a baby — […]

What's Up Doc?
Dear Dr. Vanessa: Doc Told Me I Have a Tiny Cervix

photo by eclaire Every few weeks, Dr. Vanessa Cullins, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood® Federation of America, will be answering your questions here. To ask her your own question, click here. Dear Dr. Vanessa, I’m 24, and have not yet had any children. At my last gynecological exam, […]

Research
Forget the Witch; the Disney Princesses Are Truly Terrifying

photo by hairgeek Disney isn’t necessarily to blame for the princess mania that is currently engulfing our culture in swathes of pink tulle, but they’re certainly making a shit-ton of money off it. As Peggy Orenstein reports in her new book Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, […]

News
Should Anonymous Sperm Donation Be Banned?

Is anyone not thinking about sperm donation right now, given the ubiquitous billboards for the movie THE SWITCH featuring Jason Bateman sniffing a cup of jizz? Anonymous sperm donation is now banned in Britain and several other European countries, and some people are pushing for the same to happen here in the U.S. Proponents of […]

Pop Culture
Dating Advice for The Giving Tree's Abusive Relationship

How did we manage to miss this totally awesome quote from Ryan Gosling? In an interview with New York magazine about his upcoming movie BLUE VALENTINE (opening later this year, it’s a portrait of a marriage, co-starring Michelle Williams), he’s asked about his character’s tattoo of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree on his arm, and […]

Polls
Poll: Do You Date Your Parents?

Does your partner (or do your partners tend to) resemble one or both of your parents?survey software Can’t see the poll? Click here to take it.

Research
Will Teary-Eyed, Face-Holding, Baby-Making Sex Become Obsolete?

photo by Blyzz According to a new report in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine (what, you’re not a subscriber?), IVF conception could become routine for thirty-somethings within a decade. Buh-bye, baby-making sex, hello doctor! The report claims that IVF technology is advancing so quickly that soon it will be possible to produce embryos with almost a […]

Personal Essays
Confession: I Don't Want My Parents' Relationship

Mrs. & Mr. Cleaver A college-student contributor friend of ours, who wishes to remain anonymous, has a confession to make: I have never met two people who love each other more than my parents. They get a pre-work coffee together every morning. They never get sick of talking to each other. They complete each other’s […]

Dream Interpretation
Dream Interpretation: My Ex-Husband Gave Birth

Other people’s dreams are never interesting…except when they’re about sex. Each week, our dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg tells one lucky reader what their dirty dream means. This week, a reader asks Lauri: I recently divorced my ex-husband after his not being there for me and his children for many years. I also took back my […]

Personal Essays
My New Sex Ed Teacher: Mom

A contributor friend of ours, who wishes to remain anonymous, has a confession to make: Until about a year ago, my mother was always very close-minded about sex. I never had “the talk” with either of my parents, and I learned about intercourse and other modes of love making via fellow classmates, porn, and the […]

What's Up Doc?
Dr. Kate, Is Essure a Good Alternative to Getting My Tubes Tied?

photo by Mykl_Roventine Dr. Kate is an OB/GYN at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City and she answers your medical questions here every few weeks. To ask her your own question, click here. Dear Dr. Kate, I know I am done having children, but I do not want to go under […]